The Beach
by torrence
Summary: With everyone overlooking her behavior and her constant selfdenial, all it takes is one person, the right person, and Kagome's in for the biggest realitycheck of her life.
1. Unsettled

**The Beach**

**By: Torrence E.**

**Just a short beginning ;)**

**Chapter 1: **Threatened to Unravel

**Musical inspiration: _Passenger Seat_ – Death Cab for Cutie**

She didn't know why of all the qualified tutors in the world, her mother had chosen him. She'd even paid to haul him all the way from Norway right to their doorstep. It wasn't as if he were an exceptional psychology tutor. What ticked her off most was the fact that her mother _knew_… she knew that he and Kagome hadn't been getting along for years. In fact that was why he had left. Yet she had chosen to bring him back for a whole two years just so Kagome could be taught Psychology.

She was beginning to regret ever showing interest in the subject. She had completely forgotten that Inuyasha had also chosen to pursue it years ago… when he left for Norway.

She hadn't understood why he left. He'd said it was because he couldn't stand her for one day longer. She'd said good riddance. But ever since then there'd been a feeling of loss, or almost betrayal within her.

But she still didn't understand why he left. Inuyasha was the son of one of Kagome's tutors and therefore lived in the same building as her. He'd moved in so early that he was practically a permanent resident of the household. Whenever her family took on a new tutor or cook, they moved them into their gigantic house for convenience. It was the most beautiful place she had ever known. It wasn't the house itself that she loved… but the beach beside it. She couldn't remember a day in her life when she hadn't gone to that beach. It was not a spectacular beach. It had beige sand and blue water. It was small and there were a few trees. But for her it was an escape.

As for Kagome, she was the daughter of the owner of a gift shop and a seamstress. But she'd long forgotten those people. Her parents, dead when she was three, had been replaced by her aunt and uncle. These last two had become the greatest people in her life, doing the very best for her as if she were their own. They had adopted Kagome and her brother in without hesitance and ever since been as loving as any parents could. They were very famous, wealthy people. They owned the very successful Higurashi Investment Company which had been around for years and years.

It was strange that no other member of her family or household had turned out as famed as herself. She liked to blame it on the agent that had come up to her when she was twelve. He had offered her a modeling job at his agency and she'd so quickly accepted, excited at the idea. And at twelve she became a rather popular, model. People liked her because she always had a smile on her face and a very innocent story behind her. It also helped that unlike her model friends, she didn't need to start up an eating disorder. That little job had gotten her to the place she was now: A well known, rich girl. She had quit after three years at age fifteen. And now she had just turned seventeen and had strangely only gotten more famous.

She knew why of course. It was all because of her friend Rei Chiara (Kagome didn't like to take responsibility). Rei was a gorgeous girl she had met four years earlier. They had hated each other at first. But gradually, Kagome seemed to become more and more like Rei: Daring, assertive, disobedient, fame crazed, immoral, careless and nearing infamous. And they started spending more and more time together

But nevertheless, she adored life. The fame that she had hated for the first three years, she had learned to love. Her life was like a book that everyone wanted to read. It was flattering and fun. She'd keep people on their toes with the "scandalous" things she'd do. Until about half a year ago she'd kept relatively tame, but ever since it had been a slow but steady descent.

It may have seemed that her suddenly changed life filed with chaos, scandal and gossip may have been unappealing or degrading. But Kagome's priorities had faded and she had definitely learned to love it. To her it was bliss, an undisturbed bliss. So far her parents had done nothing to intervene and so all was well.

But then today he was coming back.

Everything had changed when he left. All she could hope for was that it didn't change again when he returned. She was afraid of change.

Kagome smiled a very false smile when he walked in. She had chosen to be mature about it even though she was very unhappy to see him.

Her smile was stretched and the rest of her face was tense. He knew it was fake and she knew it was fake. They could both feel the others discomfort.

"You look different." She stated as greeting, her fingers curling in her yellow shorts. He seemed taller and looked stronger. His face seemed a little rougher too. He had been sixteen when he left. He was nearly twenty now, not quite three years older than she.

"You've changed." He replied with that half smirk she knew so well.

"Ah! So glad you've met!" Her mother barged through the kitchen door, a glass in hand.

"It's Inuyasha, Mom. I've known him all my life." She averted her eyes, a feeling of discomfort present in her stomach.

"Yes well now you get to know him even better!" she smiled as the phone rang, "Tomorrow at nine Kagome. Five days a week. I'm glad you'll finally be able to study it – you've always wanted to." She smiled at her daughter and then at Inuyasha before trotting upstairs to answer the phone.

Kagome pushed herself away from the counter rather angrily, giving him a dark look that intended to say "you've ruined my life". She walked as loudly as she could with her bare feet on the marble floor, out towards the beach.

Inuyasha clicked his tongue in annoyance. He rolled his eyes and walked up to his room where his suitcases where neatly stacked by one of the employees. He glanced around. Nothing had changed. Same bed, same colors, same view of the beach. Was that Kagome? It was. She was sitting on the beach just close enough to the water so that her toes were slightly wet. She'd always sat like that.

She hadn't needed to say it. The question was clear in her expression. _Why have you come back now? _

And the answer was simple.

For her.

Oh and for that rather delightful sum of money he would be paid to teach her.

But definitely, for her. At first he had been oblivious to her definite increase in fame and mischief. Norway didn't seem to be interested in what was going on in Japan all that much. But then her mother had subscribed him to that horrible gossip magazine. He assumed it was so that he could see what was going on with her or feel in touch. At first he didn't give the nasty titles a second glance assuming they were just blowing things way out of proportion. But then he started realizing that she seemed to grace the cover pretty much every week in some way or other. And the rather realistic pictures of her doing very not-Kagome-like things were getting harder to deny. She seemed to be falling to pieces. But that was just a minor detail in his life.

When Kagome's mother offered him a very well paid job to teach her everything he had learnt about psychology he decided to accept… for various reasons. One reason was the money, one was to see his old city and of course one was to see what was really going on with her. As of yet the things he had seen in the magazines weren't that insane, but for Kagome… they were out of this world. The normally subdued and smart girl seemed to have changed.

He was surprised to find that he cared much less than he had presumed. But he still cared…

And he was glad to be back.

**A short introduction.**** What do you think? Hope it's easy to follow. **

**-Torrence E. **


	2. Pecking Order

**T****he****Beach**

**By****Torrence****E.**

**Chapter 2: Pecking Order**

**Musical Inspiration(see bio):**_ Aerials _– System of a Down, _Chop Suey – _System of a Down

She continued to complete the chart he had given her, careful to keep her eyes trained on her paper. So far Inuyasha had done most of the talking. Introducing the concepts of the lesson and what they would be doing while she had sat there barely taking it in but nodding all the while. Kagome sipped her water uneasily, counting the minutes until the lesson would be over.

They were acting like ordinary people for once. They weren't fighting, or bickering over stupid things. But she didn't like it one bit. It was almost… awkward. The silence was getting to be a nuisance.

She handed him her completed chart and he gave it a glance, his eyebrows lowering to form a frown. "No that's not what I told you to do."

She hadn't listened. "What was I supposed to do?" she glowered at the paper.

He had _just_ explained it. "Well… first you read the text on the back and then fill in the traits and identify the factors." He indicated on the page, "Then, using that information you identify which one out of each is the most severe and prominent. Then…"

It was just too weird having him as her tutor. It was going to take time to adjust. She pretended to listen, but her eyes were focused on the sandy beach that she could see through the window. Inuyasha went on and on as her mind became increasingly void of thought.

She snapped out of her daze when the blinds were pulled down blocking her view of the beach. She looked up guiltily at his ticked off expression, her eyes unyielding to his angry glare. "Don't ask me to explain if you're not going to listen."

"Don't give me such confusing work." She looked down.

"You're a big girl, Kagome."

Kagome flinched when he said her name; a strong feeling of inferiority invaded her which she disliked very much. She pulled the chart towards her again, erasing what she had already done so she could restart. She could tell he was watching her as he sat down again, leaning back in his chair. She passed him the chart again when she'd finished and dropped her face into her hands. There was something about the mood, the ambience that was making her very uncomfortable. These lessons were not looking good at all.

-

-

"What do you mean it's different?" Sango questioned, flicking up the salty water with her toes.

"I mean it's different, the way we interact with each other." She made various hand gestures "It's almost awkward Sango. I'd prefer if he yelled at me but we're both so silent and… reasonable."

"Reasonable? You and Inuyasha? Pfft. I don't think so." Sango smiled.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Do you not find it odd that after _me_ and _Inuyasha_ spent two hours alone in a room that we _didn't _try to physically harm each other? Or at least exchange insults?"

"I guess," Sango laughed, "But what's wrong with that?"

"It's just…" she trailed off, "I don't know… it's weird!" she flopped down on her back, squinting at the sun. "We haven't fought over stupid, petty things and we don't purposely make jabs at each other."

Sango joined her on the sand. "Well if you ask me it won't be long before you guys are back to normal. Obviously it's going to be weird for a little while, you haven't seen him in around three years and he's suddenly back in your life."

Kagome grumbled, not quite sure what was upsetting her so much. "He's different - there's something about him."

"He looks older." Sango smiled knowingly, "more mature."

Kagome squinted up at the bright blue sky. "I didn't mean in his appearance."

"Broader shoulders, thicker arms, stronger jaw…" Sango listed with a smirk, as if she was trying to tempt Kagome "tanner skin, brighter eyes, nicer hair, stronger looking…" she looked over at her friend, "wouldn't you agree?"

Kagome didn't say anything. To deny it was silly as he obviously had changed a lot.

"And don't forget that ghetto booty."

"He _does not_ have a ghetto booty." Kagome laughed spraying her with sand.

"You checked?" Sango grinned.

Kagome laughed with her friend. She felt better now. And she was starting to wonder why she even cared that Inuyasha and her were, for once in their lives, acting like adults around each other. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad if Sango's assumption that they would be back to normal soon turned out to be wrong.

-

-

Sango turned out to be very right. It didn't take much at all to trigger an argument between the girl and the hanyou. In fact all it took was Kagome's ten minute late arrival to her second lesson without her homework. And it was amazing how an argument could escalate with them.

"You're late." He stated after she'd burst through the door as if nothing was wrong.

"No I'm not. My watch says I'm on time."

"You're not wearing a watch, idiot." He sneered.

She looked down stupidly, realizing he wasn't going to buy any excuse she had to make. "Sorry." She said emptily.

He frowned as she took her seat. "Where's the assignment I gave you?" he asked bluntly, realizing she wasn't carrying anything with her.

"Hmm?"

"The assignment."

"That was for today?" she put on an idiotic, disbelieving grin.

He tugged a hand through his hair in exasperation. "Okay."

Her smile faltered at his tone of voice. She could tell he was about to apprehend her.

"Obviously you're not exactly a disciplined person but-"

"I'll have you know I am a very-"

"_I_" he silenced her, "am not going to put up with it. As long as you are taking-"

Kagome rolled her eyes sharing with him a very unfriendly look. "Don't act like you-"

"_Don't_ interrupt me. I don't fucking care if everyone else revolves around you because I _don't_. You will not come late to class and you will complete any and all work that I give you. Got it?"

"Oh I don't think so." She said shaking her head, "That is totally unfair."

"How so?" he leaned back, resting his elbow on the window sill.

"Well, I happen to have an extremely busy schedule as I _am_ Kagome Higurashi. Not only do I have about ten other courses this year, but I also have a life. I have to eat and sleep to you know." She said indignantly.

"Ten courses my butt little girl."

She faked an appalled expression.

"And as for that busy schedule, I clearly saw you yesterday shopping online and sitting by the pool doing _nothing_."

Kagome was beginning to feel a little foolish. She was obviously wrong and he was clearly right. Maybe she should just apologize and let them get on with the lesson? But she was stubborn. And she had a good feeling that The Family Guy was on right then.

"Oh? What's that mom? Coming!" Her chair scrapped against the wood floor as it was pushed back and its owner hastily stood up.

Inuyasha idly stretched his foot under the table, curled it around the chair leg and yanked her forward and into it nearly breaking her neck in the process. "You're not going anywhere."

Her jaw dropped angrily. "You can't _do_ that!"

"Stop acting like a brat Kagome, you're sixteen!" he snapped loudly. Normally he wouldn't hesitate to put her in her place with whatever insult came to mind first, but he had to remember he was a tutor, and she was a student – he was supposed to be the bigger person.

"Stop acting like my mother for Christ's sake!" she yelled right back standing to the side so he couldn't do that same trick with the chair again, "And I'm seventeen." She had had her birthday only two weeks ago. Kagome began taking short steps towards the door, not taking here eyes off him. She sighed, "You don't have any authority over me so stop pretending to."

He scoffed. "Uh, I think I do." His tone was patronizing.

She tried to frown but she looked more apprehensive than angry. She pursed her lips, hating his condescension. "You can't just order me around, Inuyasha. I'm not about to just take that."

He empathized with her; he would hate to be in her situation right then. But in no way did he sympathize with her. He stopped her attempt to leave with a hand on her wrist and after a little while they eventually got on with the lesson.

By the end of the hour he was overflowing with contained anger. He was skirting the edge of his self control and it wasn't doing him any good. She had successfully ruined the majority of his day. He noticed an evident change in her disposition. It bothered him that she was being bratty with him since he knew she wasn't like that with anyone else. It was probably because of his new position of control over her but she was just going to have to get used to that. If he could bite his tongue then so could she and if she knew what was good for her she would.

-

-

**Hmm… definitely not the most fun chapter to write. I kept having trouble with this one. Drop a line and tell me what you think. ****J**

**Torrence E. **


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